Author: Vincent Osuwo

Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister claims he is “very sad” not to have been offered a new contract by the club and that he had “options” to leave during the summer. The Argentine, who signed a five-year contract from Brighton in June 2023, saw teammates Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch extend their Reds contracts this year. Before Liverpool’s Champions League match against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday, Mac Allister spoke freely about his future with the club. “I received the news that the club was not in a position to offer me a new contract, which, of course, makes me very,…

Troy Parrott netted the decisive goal as Real Betis rallied from behind to kick off their return to Champions League action with a thrilling victory at Lille. The ex-Tottenham player maintained his impressive performance since signing with Betis last month, having netted the sole goal in the win over Real Madrid on Friday. Lille controlled the first half, but a solid display following the break—along with a red card for Lille—enabled the Spaniards to secure the win. Ayase Ueda, a summer signing from Feyenoord, scored his second goal in consecutive matches by heading in from close range following a perfectly…

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja on Tuesday upheld the conviction and 490-year imprisonment handed down to a former Managing Director of the Nigeria Export-Import Bank, Robert Orya, over an N2.4bn fraud. A three-member panel of the appellate court, led by Justice Muhammed Danjuma, unanimously dismissed Orya’s appeal against the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja’s decision. Justices Ntong Festus Ntong and Ele Ejo Enenche rounded out the panel. According to Dele Oyewale, spokesman for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Justice Danjuma concluded that the appeal lacked merit and affirmed the trial court’s ruling made by Justice F.E.…

Kidnappers shot dead a Polaris Bank branch manager, Mr. Ossy, after reportedly resisting a kidnap attempt on the premises of the Federal University of Technology in Owerri, Imo State. The incident occurred on Sunday evening, while the banker, who lives in Owerri, was purportedly driving his children to university. During the incident, the fleeing gunmen allegedly kidnaped two female students as well. According to sources, the late banker was on his way to drop off his children, who are FUTO students, when he was stopped by kidnappers. However, the bank, in a statement signed by Rasheed Bolarinwa, Head, Brand Management…

Former Super Eagles head coach Augustine Eguavoen has been named interim head coach of the Super Falcons for their October 2028 Olympic Games qualifiers versus Comoros. This comes after Justin Madugu and his technical crew were fired last month. The Nigeria Football Federation confirmed the appointment in a statement on Tuesday, stating that the move was temporary while the hunt for a permanent coach for the women’s senior national team continued. “Former Super Eagles head coach Augustine Eguavoen will lead Nigeria’s Senior Women’s National Team, the Super Falcons, on an interim basis for their 2028 Olympic Games qualifying fixtures against…

Premier League side Aston Villa revitalized their campaign by securing a close Champions League win against Club Brugge. Goals in the first half from John McGinn, Emi Buendia, and Nicolas Jackson secured a hard-fought win for the Premier League team in Belgium. Hugo Vetlesen had temporarily equalized for the hosts following McGinn’s initial goal, but Buendia and Jackson, scoring his first for the club, gave Villa the lead. Nicolo Tresoldi’s penalty in the 61st minute, awarded for Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s handball, made the visitors endure a tense final 29 minutes, during which Tresoldi struck the post. However, Aston Villa managed to…

Erling Haaland netted two goals as Manchester City kicked off their Champions League journey with an easy win over Porto. Norway’s star Haaland netted the only goal against Coventry on Saturday, securing another victory by guiding a header into the far corner and adding another to reach 36 Champions League goals for City in just 40 matches. The city has been eliminated by Real Madrid in the last three seasons, but their return to Lisbon’s Estadio do Dragao—the site of their 2021 final loss to Chelsea—was a far more enjoyable occasion. Enzo Maresca’s team has kicked off the Premier League…

Kylian Mbappe climbed to joint-fifth on the all-time Champions League and European Cup goal scorers list as Real Madrid defeated Inter Milan. The 27-year-old France captain netted the first goal for Jose Mourinho’s team with a precise finish in the 14th minute from just inside the area—marking his 71st goal in 99 matches in the tournament. Only Karim Benzema (90), Robert Lewandowski (109), Lionel Messi (129), and Cristiano Ronaldo (140) have netted more goals. Raul, a three-time Champions League winner with Real Madrid, netted 71 goals in 142 matches. Real made their first attempt on goal, and the next one…

Portuguese captain Cristiano Ronaldo was conspicuously missing from the shortlisted list for the 2026 Men’s Ballon d’Or awards. The nominees were announced via the award body’s X handle on Tuesday. The Al-Nassr FC captain missed out on the list despite scoring 30 goals and making four assists for the Saudi Arabia side, helping his team win the Saudi Professional League. Ronaldo, who was named the Fans’ Player of the Season, also won Goal of the Season honors following a campaign where he scored 28 league goals. At the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Ronaldo scored two goals before his Portugal side…

Argentina’s Inter Miami captain Lionel Messi has been nominated for the 2026 Men’s Ballon d’Or award. The 39-year-old’s name was shortlisted for the 2026 Ballon d’Or nominees, marking the 70th year of the Ballon d’Or to recognize and celebrate great achievements in the world of football across the 2025/26 season. The nominees were announced via the award body’s X handle on Tuesday. Messi’s inclusion in the race for the prestigious award comes after leading Argentina to the final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where they lost by a lone goal to Spain. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner scored eight…